Introduction

“A Mercantile Marie-Celeste”

Newman Bros was a family-run factory in Birmingham's unique Jewellery Quarter. The firm made some of the world's finest coffin furniture, including the fittings for the funerals of Churchill, Chamberlain and Princess Diana. The very last sets of cast brass gothic handles from this factory were used on the coffins of Cardinal Basil Hume and of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Production stopped here in 1998. What is left behind is an extraordinary, frozen picture of the life of a Victorian factory. It's more than a building with artefacts. Newman Bros closed so recently that historical memories and skills still survive through the workforce.

This was recognised by English Heritage when it registered the site as an outstanding survival. The buildings are now listed at Grade II*.

In June 2004 Julian Litten - a leading expert on the funeral industry - summed up its significance as "not only the last surviving 19th century coffin manufacturing but also ... the most important manufacturer of such items at a time when England was regarded as the template for funerary pomp and extravagance". As such it has an enormous amount to tell us about us and our attitudes to death.

The premises include warehousing and offices on the first two floors with the shroud room above. The rooms are heaving with old stock, company records, patterns and fine craftwork. At the back are two long ranges of workshops, including a stamp shop with its original battery of four drop stamps. Beyond is the electroplating room.

So what next for Newman Bros?

The regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands stepped in and bought the building in April 2003. In the same year it was featured on the BBC television series Restoration.

The aim is to work with Advantage West Midlands to secure the long-term future of this outstanding heritage asset. One proposal is for a museum, supported by rents gained from converting parts of the building to managed offices. It will give the building new life and allow the public access to Newman Bros. However at this stage in the project we are still happy to explore other ideas. As with the back-to-backs, it is wise to consider all imaginative ways of securing a prosperous future for buildings at risk.

OPEN DAYS – by appointment only.

Advantage West Midlands
BBC Restoration
English Heritage Photo-essay on the Jewellery Quarter

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